Buffing wheel



- Dec. 31, 1968 1.. G. MEGUIAR ET AL 3,418,675

BUFFING WHEEL Filed Oct. 1'7, 1967 I NVENTOR. ukev 6. MEGU/AR /(E/VNETH 0. MEGUIAR A T TOR/YE Y5 United States Patent 3,418,675 BUFFING WHEEL Larry G. Meguiar and Kenneth D. Meguiar, Pasadena,

Calif., assignors to Mirror Bright Polish Co., Pasadena, Calif., a partnership Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 598,687,

Dec. 2, 1966. This application Oct. 17, 1967, Ser.

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-230) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to bufiing wheels, and particularly to bufling wheels for bufiing a sheen on a surface substantially free from whorls.

A buffing wheel according to the present invention comprises a substantially cylindrical buffer head having a diameter of not less than six inches and constructed of an open-cellular foam, such as polyurethane foam. The buffer head has a buffing face and a beveled portion at the outer portion of the bufling face.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 598,687, filed Dec. 2, 1966, for Bufling Wheel, now abandoned.

This invention relates to buffing wheels, and particularly bufiing wheels for butting a cleaning or polishing substance onto a surface to create a sheen on the surface substantially free from whorls.

Polishing a finished surface, such as the surface of an automobile, involves the application of a cleaning compound to the surface and the buffing of the cleaning compound onto the surface with a buffer to create a sheen. Typically, a polishing substance is compounded with the cleaning compound to create a glossy sheet while cleaning the surface. A protective wax may be applied to the surface after the cleaning compound has been buffed.

To accomplish the buffing operation, a rotary bufling wheel is brought against the surface to be buffed and rotated thereon. The bufiing wheel is moved along the surface by an operator to buff the entire surface and create a sheen thereon.

Prior buffing wheels have utilized a buffer head constructed of a fabric-like material or foam rubber. Typical fabric-like materials for buffing heads include synthetic cloths, cotton, leather, and ox hide. The problem with these buffing wheels is that the rotary action of the buf fing wheel tends to produce whorls in the sheen, thus detracting from the luster of the finish. -It is an object of the present invention to provide a buffing wheel for buffing a surface to create a sheen on the surface substantially free from whorls.

A bufiing wheel according to the present invention comprises a resilient buffer head supported by a disk and comprising a matrix of finely dispersed elongated elements. One suitable material for the buffer head is polyurethane foam of a particular open-cell configuration. When the buffing wheel is rotated about its axis and the buffer head is brought against a surface having a cleaning compound thereon, a sheen is created on the surface which is substantially free from whorls.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top elevation of the presently preferred bufiing wheel according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, partly in cross-section, of the bufi'ing wheel in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of a buffer head for the bufiing wheel in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a bufling wheel 10 having a circular disk 12 of lightweight plastic formed about axis 14. A substantially cylindrical housing 16 is axially supported by ribs 18 to surface 20 of disk 12. The ribs are required for sufficient strength of the plastic disk. Housing 16 carries an internal threaded portion 22 axially disposed within the housing forming an opening at 24. Threads 22 are adapted to be attached to a suitable source of rotational energy, for example, the shaft of a motor (not shown). Disk 12, housing 16 and ribs 18 are preferably formed from durable, hard plastic. Surface 26 of disk 12 supports a substantially cylindrical buffer head 28 having a beveled portion 29 and a substantially circular buffing face 29a disposed perpendicular to axis 14. Buffer head 28 is axially attached to surface 26 by suitable fastening means (not shown), for example, glue.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, buffer head 28 comprises a resilient matrix of finely dispersed elongated elements 30 arranged in an open-cellular configuration. A suitable material for buffer head 28 is polyurethane foam, which is commercially available as Foam Tex from CPR Company, a division of Upjohn Laboratories, Inc. Elongated elements 30 are typically dispersed in a random manner forming random passages 32 between them. Passages 32 are typically 4, 5 and 6-sided passages formed by elongated elements 30. Elongated elements 30 are approximately 0.03 inch in length and have a width less than approximately one-fourth their length. The length of elongated elements 30 is seldom larger than 0.0625 inch.

When bufling a surface with a rotary bufiiing wheel there is a tendency for the buffing face of the buffing wheel to walk along the surface being buffed, due to the friction created by a portion of the rotating buffing wheel against the surface. To prevent this, buffing face 29 should have a diameter large enough to overcome the walking tendencies. It has been found that a buffing wheel of the order of eight inches in diameter has been satisfactory and that the bufiing wheel should be no less than six inches in diameter. Beveled portion 29 reduces drag at the outer edges of the buffing face as it rotates in contact with a surface being buffed.

The prior art buffing wheels which utilize foam rubber or fabric type buffer heads have not been satisfactory for producing a sheen on a surface which is substantially free from whorls. The present buffing wheel, on the other hand, produces a surface which is substantially free from whorls. The reason for this effect is not entirely known, but the following theory is advanced as one possible explanation, and should not be construed as limiting on this invention.

Foam rubber and fabric-type buffer heads comprise a lattice of planar surfaces adapted to contact the surface being buffed. These planar surfaces create a substantially smooth contact surface between the buffer head and the surface to be buffed. To produce a high sheen, a certain amount of heat is necessary to soften the paint so as to smooth it. Prior bufl-lng wheels do not produce sufiicient quantities of heat to soften the paint. Since the paint is not sufficiently softened, when the revolving bufling Wheel is applied to the surface, the paint streaks, thereby producing whorls. Furthermore, residual cleaning compound and oxidized material may be deposited on the planar surfaces of the buffer head and within the substantially enclosed passages, thereby creating abrasive bits of grit on the surface of the buffer head. The pressure of the buffer head against the surface being buffed causes the abrasive bits of grit to streak on the surface. The streaking is rotary in appearance and in the direction of rotation of the buffing wheel. The present invention utilizes a bufiing head having an open-cell matrix of finely dispersed elongated elements. It is theorized that the soft, abradant surface of the buffer head increases the amount of heat generated by friction, thereby softening the paint to allow it to smooth to an even glaze. Furthermore, the pressure of the buffer head against the surface being buffed is substantially less than which is required by prior buffer heads, so streaking caused by abrasive bits of grit is substantially eliminated.

The present invention thus provides a buffing wheel for bufling a cleaning compound onto a surface to create a sheen on that surface which is substantially free from whorls. The bufling wheel is easily constructed from materials commercially available and is simple and effective to use.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in the drawings and described in the description, which is given by way of example and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A bufling wheel for buffiing a cleaning compound onto a surface to create a sheen on the surface substantially free from whorls, said bufiing wheel comprising: a disk having an axis; attachment means including a housing axially supported on one side of said disk and internal threads axially disposed in said housing for attaching said disk to a source of rotational energy; radially disposed rib means forming supports between said disk and said housing and integral therewith; a substantially cylindrical buffer head having a diameter of not less than six inches and axially supported by said disk on the side opposite said one side, said buffer head being constructed from an open-cellular polyurethane foam com-v prising a resilient matrix of finely dispersed elongated elements forming random passages within the buffer head, a substantially circular bufiing face on said buffer head and disposed substantially perpendicular to said axis, and an annular beveled portion on said buffer head at the periphery of said buffing face, whereby upon rotating said buffing wheel about said axis and contacting said bufling face against a surface having a cleaning compound thereon, said bufiing face rotates about said axis and a sheen is created on the surface substantially free from whorls.

2. A bufiing wheel according to claim 1 wherein said disk, said attachment means and said rib means are plastic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,005,219 10/1961 Miller. 3,075,222 l/1963 Miller. 3,082,582 3/1963 Jeske. 3,084,3 64 4/ 1963 Hutchins. 3,114,924 12/1963 Morrison. 3,171,820 3/1965 VolZ.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,009,424 3/1952 France.

559,372 2/1944 Great Britain.

789,223 1/ 1958 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 15 244 

